When management software for managing a computer system comprising a large number of node apparatuses detects either problems or the symptoms of problems, the management software infers the causal event from thereamong (Patent Literature 1). More specifically, the management software disclosed in Patent Literature 1 treats various types of problems that occur in management-target apparatuses as events, and accumulates event information in an event database. The management software comprises an analysis engine. The analysis engine analyzes the causal relationship between multiple problem events, which have occurred in a management-target apparatus.
The analysis engine accesses a configuration database having inventory information of the management-target apparatus, and recognizes the configuration components inside the apparatus, which is on an I/O (Input/Output) path, as a single group called a “topology”. The analysis engine applies a problem propagation model to this topology and constructs a causality matrix.
The problem propagation model is configured from a condition statement and an analysis result, which have been determined beforehand. The causality matrix comprises a causal event denoting the causative problem, and a group of relevant events denoting the problem that is occurring as a result of the causal event. Specifically, an event, which is described as the root cause of a problem in the THEN part of the rule, is the causal event. An event other than the causal event among the events described in the IF part of the rule is the relevant event.